The Zuni Tribe's Agriculture

The Zuni Tribe is known for their successful agriculture economy due to the location of their villages.  The villages were near fertile ground, allowing the Zuni people to take advantage of the water resources.  The tribe has been planting at the Zuni River Valley for thousands of years.  The Zuni people grew mostly corn, beans, squash, as well as cotton and tobacco.  Once the Spanish settlers arrived, the Zuni Tribe were introduced to new crops, such as wheat and peaches.

In the tribes, men were typically in charge of agriculture, while women were in charge of the home and the family.  Although the men were in charge, women usually helped by gathering nuts, fruits, and different types of herbs.  It may sound easy, but at times, gathering requires special tools and training because it can be extremely complicated.

As a little background, there is one Zuni creation myth that says "agriculture was given to humanity by the sons of the sun who lead the people from the darkness underneath the earth to the surface."  Along with other Pueblo people, the Zuni used agriculture to create a stable culture, in which they do not have to roam around like nomads.

The Zuni Tribe is considered to be very religious, and because of this, chiefs perform while the shamans pray to the gods for rain in order to have fertile soil.  Rain is considered to be very sacred to the Zuni people.  In a festival called Shalako, dancers decorate themselves to portray the "couriers of the rain" and bless new homes.  With this in mind, many Zuni people have also raised livestock.  They have a belief that if they treat the animals with respect, the animals will share their power with them.  For example, bears have the power of health and strength, ram with posterity, and buffalo with abundance.

Native Languages.  2015.  "Zuni Indian Fact Sheet."  Retrieved October 27 2015. (http://www.bigorrin.org/zuni_kids.htm).

Crystalinks.  2015.  "Zuni."  Retrieved October 27 2015. (http://www.crystalinks.com/zuni.html).

Ashiwi.  1999.  "Culture."  Retrieved October 26 2015. (http://www.ashiwi.org/Culture.aspx).

Zuni Indians. 2015. "Zuni Culture." Retrieved October 26 2015. (http://www.zuniindian.net/zuni-culture/).

Muscato, Christopher.  2015.  "Zuni Tribe: Facts, History, & Culture."  Retrieved October 27 2015. (http://study.com/academy/lesson/zuni-tribe-facts-history-culture.html).

Weiser, Kathy. August 2014. "The Zuni - A Mysterious People." LegendsofAmerica.com. Retrieved October 27 2015. (http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-zuni.html).

The Zuni Tribe's Hunting Style

The Zuni tribe is one of many indigenous tribes that struggle to survive due to the lack of health situations they face on a regular basis.  As most people know, there is a huge difference between firing a gun and a bow with an arrow.  The Zunis don’t have the same resources that we have today used for hunting.

What many may not know is that the first inhabiting Zuni tribe were big time hunters, and they still are.  The Zunis use a small variety of weapons such as the “Atlatl,” which is a type of spear thrower or throwing stick.  Another weapon is a small mini spear that would be recognizable to us as a dart.  Surprisingly, the Zuni’s have a rather large variety of knives use for practical purposes and hunting.

The Atlatl is used to propel spears; what most people would describe as a gun and the spear is the bullet.  Like any spear, with enough power, speed, and accuracy; it can seriously harm others.  On the other hand, an Atlatl is more powerful therefore more deadly than a spear that is thrown by hand. The Atlatl at times is strong enough; that is has the strength to take down large marine animals such as whales and it has actually been used for that purpose before.

The spear alone that is put in the Atlatl is measure out to be around 4 feet long and is normally made of wood.  The Atlatl however, isn’t as long as the spear but its average size is typically around 2 feet.  The spear is on one end of the Atlatl while on the other end is the grip. What is use for counterbalance is a weighted Atlatl (small stone), which is placed at midsection of the Atlatl and is also a way to add additional thrust.  Some would consider an Atlatl to be an upgrade from the use of a spear alone.

Warpaths2peacepipes. "Atlatl." Retrieved September 21, 2015. (http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-indian-weapons-tools/atlatl.htm).

Morall Virginia. April 2007. "The Zuni Way." Retrieved September 21, 2015. (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/the-zuni-way-150866547/?no-ist).

The Zuni Tribe's Religion

The Zuni people have an "all-encompassing" approach to the universe.  This means that they treat everything in their lives as if it is sacred.  They believe that through their religion, harmony and balance will be maintained.  Major aspects of their beliefs include nature, ancestors, and Zootheism.  Zootheism is the "belief in animal gods."  It is also said that the principal gods that the tribe worships dwell in a lake in Arizona.  The Zuni tribe has many ways that they practice their religion including ceremonies, and the way they treat death and the afterlife.

In order for one to understand the religion of the Zuni people they must first be informed about the tribes religious practices.  The religion of the Zuni people begins at the home.  There are certain clans in the Zuni community that "may determine ones position in the religious system."  All tribe men are initiated into a "kachina society."  Once they are in this society they are put into "one of six kiva groups."  But the way a man is put into these groups is sacred to the people. When a boy is born, in the Zuni tribe, his mother and father decide what kiva, the young man, is placed into. But as the child gets older he can chose to change his kiva. Before he can do that he must go through two initiation processes.  One is "between the ages of five and nine," and the other initiation phase is between the ages of "ten and fourteen" after this, the male can "dance and wear a kachina mask."  He is now considered a man. Once he is initiated into one of the religious societies, he is then presented with what is interpreted as a perfect ear of corn, this corn ends in 5 symmetrical rows and feathers attached to it.  This is to represent the life-giving power of "the creator."  There are also ceremonies carried out by the chiefs and shamans.  These ceremonies would include song and dance which would be accompanied by "masked performances by the chiefs while the shamans prayed to the gods for a variety of favors."  In these ceremonies, these masked men impersonate their ancestral gods while the shamans play the leading part.

Another thing that a person should know about the Zuni religion is the way they treat death.  When a person dies, the Zuni people often look at the cause as "witchcraft."  But other factors in death may include "kachina dances that last for several days, dreams of death, and infraction of religious rules" may also be causes. There are also two ways of predicting the death of a "rain priest."  If there is a "thunder storm in January, or "observed landslides" show that a "rain priest will die within the year.

All these things are factors in the Zuni tribe’s religious beliefs. From the ways that they practice their religion to the way they view death, the Zuni religion is very interesting.  This tribe believes in Zootheism, which is the belief in animal gods. The Zuni tribe has many ways that they partake in their religion such as ceremonies and the way they treat death.

Crystalinks.  2015.  "Zuni."  Retrieved October 27 2015. (http://www.crystalinks.com/zuni.html).

Countries and Their Cultures.  "Zuni- Religion and Expressive Culture."  Retrieved October 27, 2015.  (http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Zuni-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html).

The Zuni Tribe's Language

Zuni is a language roughly spoken by about 9,500 people in the USA, mostly places like Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico and little parts of Arizona.  Zuni is influenced by other languages as well as in the areas where it’s spoken, most commonly in places like Hopi, Keresan, Tanoan, but also Navajo.  The language is spoken by many, as in men, women and also children of any age group.  It is the main language of communication in the Zuni Pueblo.

Ways of writing Zuni with the Latin alphabet have been figured out by quite a few linguists and anthropologists.  The most recent was figured mostly by Curtis Cook, who recorded hundreds and hundreds of Zuni histories, folk tales and religious teachings. Curtis Cook also produced textbooks for learning the Zuni language. 

You can read the text below, for some teaching of the Zuni language. 

SAMPLE

1. Le'na' benan k'okshi banan kwayi. Jesus Christ, ho'n a:wan Datchu God an Tsawak'ona andepbe:'a.
2. Hish kya:koł ho'n a:wan Datchu God an beye:na:kwe deya'kowa Isaiah le'na' ts'ina: ya:k'yakkya. Ho'n a:wan Datchu God yam Tsawak le'anikwekkya, "Si! Wan yu'hadiyahk'ya! Ho' yam beye:na:kwe dom an kel a:k'yap, lukk'on dom an kwa'hoł demła yelede'unna.
3. Luk hom an beye:na:kwe delibałda'kowa we'atchonan, a:ho'i le'a:wanikwanna, ‘Demł a:ho' a:wan Mosson an iydunona dekkwin don yam ik'e:na: k'okshuna:wa. Iydunon akkya don yelede'una:wa!'" Lesna' Isaiah ts'ina: ya:k'yakkya.

TRANSLATION

1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight

Omniglot.  2015.  “Zuni (Shiwi’ma).”  Retrieved October 27, 2015.  (http://www.omniglot.com/writing/zuni.htm).